1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to setting up connections to a data network for terminals, in particular mobile terminals, and more particularly to the provision of data needed to set up a connection.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is well known in the art that setting up connections across a packet-switched data network such as the Internet involves allocating an address to the data network. For most uses address allocation is dynamic and effected by a service provider to which the user subscribes. The expression “primary provision” or “primary data provision” refers to the step of supplying a user with data for establishing a first connection to a service provider. That data includes all the parameters of all the layers needed for the connection to the service provider, for example the telephone number, the transmission medium employed, a user login name, a password, etc. In the case of a connection to a service provider using a computer, the primary provision is often effected by supplying the user with a CD-ROM containing the provisioning data, with a temporary address. It is also known in the art to provide the primary provisioning data by mail; the data is then copied by the user when prompted to do so, using appropriate software.
Mobile terminals are now appearing which have an Internet connection terminal function in addition to a telephone network terminal function. For terminals of this kind the telephone network provides the access network to the data network. Solutions to the problem of primary provisioning for such terminals have been proposed. Patent applications filed on the same day as the present application, whose titles in translation are “Method of validating data in a terminal” and “Method of validating the primary provisioning of a terminal” provide advantageous solutions for provisioning mobile terminals. The provisioning data is then stored in a physical location or in a logical file of the terminal and is updated if necessary during the next provisioning.
It is also known in the art to enable mobile terminals to use different public land mobile networks (PLMN). A mobile terminal or a user terminal is usually associated with a given public land mobile network or home access network, which is the access network to which they subscribe. The facility to connect to other public networks can also be provided. The term “rooming” refers to a change of network on moving from one access network to another.
A new problem encountered with mobile terminals which can connect to a data network is that of provisioning in the case of a change of access network. If the access network is changed, it is necessary to update the provisioning data in the terminal in order to be able to continue to access the services of the data network. On returning to the home access network, further provisioning is then required to reload the provisioning data for the home network.
This problem encountered on “roaming” between access networks also applies to “roaming” between users, i.e. if the same terminal is used by more than one user, for example with different subscriber identification module (SIM) cards. The expression “plastic roaming” is used to refer to a change of user by changing SIM card.
The invention provides a solution to the above new problems. It enables a change of user or access network without losing the provisioning data. Returning to the home access network or another change of user is possible without it being necessary to carry out further provisioning.